The War of the Roses is finally over (or as Gregory calls it, the Cousins War) and Henry VII has been crowned and he has taken Elizabeth of York as his wife. As Gregory splendidly shows, his reign is anything but stable. He is not loved by the people and he does not have the charm to win them over.
Elizabeth of York is the focus of The White Princess. She was the eldest daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Her brothers were the missing Princes in the Tower. Elizabeth now has to learn to love Henry VII even though her heart still belongs to the deceased Richard III, her uncle. She never truly measures up in her husbands eyes even though she does show him sympathy and tries to be a dutiful wife. But since she was constantly left out of the plans that her husband and his mother schemed together, she never had a chance.
Normally Gregory portrays her main characters as strong-willed and able to manipulate their future. Elizabeth is not this type of character. She was weak and I personally found her none too smart. She allowed herself to be manipulated instead of taking control of her own destiny. You would think with a husband that was obviously a mamas boy and paranoid that she could have had a chance of becoming more. She was definitely overshadowed by her mother-in-law, Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Philippa Gregory of course takes her own liberties with history which provides for an entertaining historical fiction read. There were times that the book seemed drag on without getting to the point but all in all it ended up being a typical Gregory novel. You dont have to read this entire series in order but it does help to keep the timeline straight.
I listened to the audio version narrated by Bianca Amato who did an exceptional job. Her tone of voice captured the characters well and I would listen to another audio narrated by her.
Elizabeth of York is the focus of The White Princess. She was the eldest daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Her brothers were the missing Princes in the Tower. Elizabeth now has to learn to love Henry VII even though her heart still belongs to the deceased Richard III, her uncle. She never truly measures up in her husbands eyes even though she does show him sympathy and tries to be a dutiful wife. But since she was constantly left out of the plans that her husband and his mother schemed together, she never had a chance.
Normally Gregory portrays her main characters as strong-willed and able to manipulate their future. Elizabeth is not this type of character. She was weak and I personally found her none too smart. She allowed herself to be manipulated instead of taking control of her own destiny. You would think with a husband that was obviously a mamas boy and paranoid that she could have had a chance of becoming more. She was definitely overshadowed by her mother-in-law, Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Philippa Gregory of course takes her own liberties with history which provides for an entertaining historical fiction read. There were times that the book seemed drag on without getting to the point but all in all it ended up being a typical Gregory novel. You dont have to read this entire series in order but it does help to keep the timeline straight.
I listened to the audio version narrated by Bianca Amato who did an exceptional job. Her tone of voice captured the characters well and I would listen to another audio narrated by her.
I absolutely loved this book. I think this is my favorite of the series. With other Phillipa Gregory books it took several chapters before I really got into the story, but with The White Princess I was hooked from the beginning.
The White Princess follows Elizabeth Princess of York as she enters a loveless marriage with Henry the VII. Her husband and her mother in law do not trust her as Henry the VII fights the people's loyalty towards the last remaining members of her family, the Yorks. Elizabeth must choose between her divided loyalties. She must choose between her husband and the pretender to the thrown which she believes is her brother.
I found the subject matter very interesting and I am very eager to read more about Richard III, the two princes in tower, and Perkin Warbeck.
The White Princess follows Elizabeth Princess of York as she enters a loveless marriage with Henry the VII. Her husband and her mother in law do not trust her as Henry the VII fights the people's loyalty towards the last remaining members of her family, the Yorks. Elizabeth must choose between her divided loyalties. She must choose between her husband and the pretender to the thrown which she believes is her brother.
I found the subject matter very interesting and I am very eager to read more about Richard III, the two princes in tower, and Perkin Warbeck.
Gregory has a smooth way of writing. Her language is very eloquent yet easy to grasp. This book was no different.
You'll love the main character, Elizabeth, and her ability to control her anger but hate the way she does not stand up for herself on more than one occasion, especially with her husband Henry VII. Their relationship is one I'd call challenging. At one point in the story they both grow fond if each other, but it does not last. Henry's rage is repetitive and always about the same thing; lack of trust. It does get old, but no matter the circumstance the writing style is fantastic.
Their is just the right amount of imagery, believability of the life of the characters, and their dynamics.
I always love to read her books and though it is fiction, Gregory has certainly gone through extensive research to be as accurate as possible. However, I do disagree with the fact that Elizabeth and Henry had sex before they were married. They both were born from high places, are not likely to get it on and make any of their children *bastards*. From my belief Elizabeth was more dignified than that.
Read it and tell me what you think!
You'll love the main character, Elizabeth, and her ability to control her anger but hate the way she does not stand up for herself on more than one occasion, especially with her husband Henry VII. Their relationship is one I'd call challenging. At one point in the story they both grow fond if each other, but it does not last. Henry's rage is repetitive and always about the same thing; lack of trust. It does get old, but no matter the circumstance the writing style is fantastic.
Their is just the right amount of imagery, believability of the life of the characters, and their dynamics.
I always love to read her books and though it is fiction, Gregory has certainly gone through extensive research to be as accurate as possible. However, I do disagree with the fact that Elizabeth and Henry had sex before they were married. They both were born from high places, are not likely to get it on and make any of their children *bastards*. From my belief Elizabeth was more dignified than that.
Read it and tell me what you think!
Elizabeth B. (booksalicious) -
The White Princess follows the story of Elizabeth of York a princess of the House of York who was used as a game piece by her Mother and the new ruling Tudor house of England when she is married to the new upstart Tudor king Henry whom much of the country still sees as a pretender to the thrown and who the author portrays as not having the natural 'finesse' of a natural ruler that the York line had in its rulers such as Elizabeth's Father King Edward, or the last York Ruler, Elizabeth's uncle King Richard; with whom Elizabeth of York had a much whispered about relationship.
While some of the details in the story were interesting, this was not one of my favorite Philippa Gregory books, it was very bogged down with the political and battle details of the time, and I found myself after the first hundred or so pages getting annoyed with certain things. Like Elizabeth constantly telling King Henry, 'I don't know' or when her cousin Maggie Teddy's sister would deliver shocking or private news Elizabeth would consistently just start off by asking 'What?' I don't think this really did justice to how smart Elizabeth would have been or how dialogue would have progressed. The details, and events that were concentrated on in the White Princess surprised me it was not as enjoyable as other books by this author, that I've read.
Some of the settings, and descriptions of the children were enjoyable, however the overall descriptions of Elizabeth were not what I expected. The descriptions of England, Henry and his Mother and Elizabeth's Mother were more on point in my opinion, and I do enjoy learning more about this time period. The book follows Elizabeth's life from her marriage to Henry up until he decide's the fate of "The Pretender." I don't recommend this book if you're looking for a normal Philippa Gregory novel it was really more about King Henry's cowardice, and Elizabeth not letting go of her love for Richard. An interesting take on the story of the cousins war.
While some of the details in the story were interesting, this was not one of my favorite Philippa Gregory books, it was very bogged down with the political and battle details of the time, and I found myself after the first hundred or so pages getting annoyed with certain things. Like Elizabeth constantly telling King Henry, 'I don't know' or when her cousin Maggie Teddy's sister would deliver shocking or private news Elizabeth would consistently just start off by asking 'What?' I don't think this really did justice to how smart Elizabeth would have been or how dialogue would have progressed. The details, and events that were concentrated on in the White Princess surprised me it was not as enjoyable as other books by this author, that I've read.
Some of the settings, and descriptions of the children were enjoyable, however the overall descriptions of Elizabeth were not what I expected. The descriptions of England, Henry and his Mother and Elizabeth's Mother were more on point in my opinion, and I do enjoy learning more about this time period. The book follows Elizabeth's life from her marriage to Henry up until he decide's the fate of "The Pretender." I don't recommend this book if you're looking for a normal Philippa Gregory novel it was really more about King Henry's cowardice, and Elizabeth not letting go of her love for Richard. An interesting take on the story of the cousins war.
I love Philippa Gregory, but this was not one of her best. It felt like she had a word minimum to reach and was constantly repeating dialogue. It became irritating and cumbersome to read. Quite a disappointment from a beloved author.
